Planets TonightMars in 1956: brightness, position and events
Brightest-2.8around Sep 15
Closest (in table)0.381 au57 million km
Farthest2.088 au
Events this year1
Brightest last year+0.7
Events this year
| Date (JST) | Event | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1956-09-11 06:57 | Opposition | -2.9 | 0.379 | Aquarius | 174.1° |
Magnitude through the year (lower = brighter)
Twice-monthly position and visibility
| Date | Mag | Dist (au) | Constellation | Elong. | Visibility |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 | +1.5 | 2.088 | Libra | 48° W | Morning sky |
| Jan 15 | +1.4 | 1.974 | Libra | 53° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 1 | +1.3 | 1.828 | Ophiuchus | 59° W | Morning sky |
| Feb 15 | +1.1 | 1.705 | Ophiuchus | 64° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 1 | +1.0 | 1.571 | Sagittarius | 70° W | Morning sky |
| Mar 15 | +0.8 | 1.447 | Sagittarius | 74° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 1 | +0.6 | 1.298 | Sagittarius | 80° W | Morning sky |
| Apr 15 | +0.3 | 1.179 | Capricornus | 85° W | Morning sky |
| May 1 | +0.1 | 1.048 | Capricornus | 90° W | Morning sky |
| May 15 | -0.2 | 0.940 | Capricornus | 95° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 1 | -0.5 | 0.816 | Aquarius | 102° W | Morning sky |
| Jun 15 | -0.8 | 0.721 | Aquarius | 108° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 1 | -1.2 | 0.622 | Aquarius | 115° W | Morning sky |
| Jul 15 | -1.5 | 0.544 | Aquarius | 123° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 1 | -2.0 | 0.463 | Aquarius | 136° W | Morning sky |
| Aug 15 | -2.4 | 0.414 | Aquarius | 148° W | Morning sky |
| Sep 1 | -2.8 | 0.381 | Aquarius | 166° W | Most of the night |
| Sep 15 | -2.8 | 0.383 | Aquarius | 172° E | Most of the night |
| Oct 1 | -2.4 | 0.419 | Aquarius | 155° E | Most of the night |
| Oct 15 | -1.9 | 0.477 | Aquarius | 141° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 1 | -1.4 | 0.574 | Aquarius | 127° E | Evening sky |
| Nov 15 | -1.0 | 0.670 | Aquarius | 118° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 1 | -0.6 | 0.792 | Pisces | 108° E | Evening sky |
| Dec 15 | -0.3 | 0.909 | Pisces | 101° E | Evening sky |
Computed with the JPL DE421 ephemeris and Skyfield (times in JST). Magnitude and distance are for 12:00 JST on each date. Visibility is a rough guide for mid-northern latitudes such as Japan.
About this page
Mars is brightest around September 1956 (magnitude -2.8); 1 conjunctions, oppositions or elongations occur this year.